Click to see

Obama countdown

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Tom Ridge and his and his lack of civility and statesmanship

Speaking at a gathering of the Log Cabin Republicans’ Spirit of Lincoln dinner former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge demonstrated why more Americans identify with the Tea Party than RINO Republicans as pointed in the previous post.

“Sometimes we [Republicans] just come across as too damned self-righteous, and I’m sorry, that’s just not the 21st-century political party GOP that I think we need to govern America,” Ridge said.“Many Americans are outraged by the moralistic attacks on the gay and lesbian community from some within our party,” Ridge continued, lambasting what he called “the narcissists and ideologues within our party” who promote an “offensive and exclusionary view,” as well as an “unacceptable rigidity and self-righteousness on social issues.”As Ridge attacked the pro-life and pro-family community, he simultaneously lamented a “lack of civility and statesmanship” in the political arena.Pro-life activists, Ridge said, “forget about separation of church and state” and participate in activities that are “consistent with what a church may propose but should not necessarily be at the epicenter of governing.”“God-fearing” people, Ridge continued, could also support abortion and homosexuality. Those who opposed abortion and same-sex marriage, he said, “should be more concerned about their own relationship with God.”

A “lack of civility and statesmanship”? Where was Governor Ridge when a White House National Security Staffer called Sarah Palin's family "white Trash"? Where was Governor Ridge when Ann Romney's multiple sclerosis became a theme for late night comedy? Where was Governor Ridge when, as the chief executive of the Keystone state, he allowed Kermit Gosnell to perform mayhem on the unborn without one single inspection of his abortion mill? His dereliction of duty and disregard for his oath of office was so egregious that the grand jury that indicted Gosnell felt compelled to mention the governor's failure to uphold the law.

Pennsylvania is not a third-world country. There were several oversight agencies that stumbled upon and should have shut down Kermit Gosnell long ago. But none of them did, not even after Karnamaya Mongar’s death. In the end, Gosnell was only
caught by accident, when police raided his offices to seize evidence of his illegal prescription selling. Once law enforcement agents went in, they couldn't help noticing the disgusting conditions, the dazed patients, the discarded fetuses. That is why the complete regulatory collapse that occurred here is so inexcusable. It should have taken only one look.

The first line of defense was the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The department’s job is to audit hospitals and outpatient medical facilities, like Gosnell’s, to make sure that they follow the rules and provide safe care. The department had contact with the Women’s Medical Society dating back to 1979, when it first issued approval to open an abortion clinic. It did not conduct another site review until 1989, ten years later. Numerous violations were already apparent, but Gosnell got a pass when he promised to fix them. Site reviews in 1992 and 1993 also noted various violations, but again failed to ensure they were corrected. But at least the department had been doing something up to that point, however ineffectual. After 1993, even that pro forma effort came to an end. Not because of administrative ennui, although there had been plenty. Instead, the Pennsylvania Department of Health abruptly decided, for political reasons, to stop inspecting abortion clinics at all. The politics in question were not anti-abortion, but pro. With the change of administration from Governor Casey to Governor Ridge, officials concluded that inspections would be “putting a barrier up to women” seeking abortions. Better to leave clinics to do as they pleased, even though, as Gosnell proved, that meant both women and babies would pay.

The fact, that as governor, Ridge ran his state worse than a third world county, at least in the estimation of the grand, jury speaks to his concept "statesmanship". Countless innocent women and unborn children paid a very high price for his cheap hypocrisy.